Elevate Their Travel Experience: Unique 2024 Travel Gifts Beyond Gear
Last year you gifted your favorite travel buddy a new Beis carry-on suitcase. Great idea!
The year before that? You gifted your jet-setting sister a personalized luggage tag and passport holder. She loved it!
This year, you want to gift travel items that go beyond gear. Travel gifts that elevate their travel days.
Below is our list for the best gifts to give the traveler in your lift that isn’t travel gear. It’s much much more.
Unique 2024 Travel Gifts That Aren’t Gear
Top Gifts For Travelers That Aren’t Gear
Airport Lounge Access
CLEAR Access
Airbnb and Airline Giftcards
World Subscription Box
Subscription to Daily Drop Pro
United Premier Access
1. Gift Airport Lounge Access
Nothing elevates travel more than arriving to the airport and going directly to the lounge to relax. Lounge access is more accessible than it sounds!
PLAZA PREMIUM LOUNGE
Long haul flights can be exhausting, especially when a long layover is added to the mix. Gift refreshment by giving Plaza Premium Lounge access.
With Plaza Premium Lounge access, you’re able to gift access to some of the top lounges in the world. From Hong Kong and Dubai to Bogota and Toronto, this access card will allow your favorite traveler to kick their feet up or even take a shower while at the airport.
You can purchase one time passes, or gift 2-Day pass access for a round trip experience.
PRIORITY PASS
Similarly to the Plaza Premium Lounge access, Priority Pass is another way to gift lounge access to your frequent flyer.
Priority Pass is an app that not only gives access to over 1,600 lounges around the world, but also includes spa credits, preferred rates for car rentals, and discounts at airport restaurants.
You got here just in time! Priority Pass is having a Black Friday sale for 30% off all Priority Pass Memberships.
STAR ALLIANCE LOUNGE ACCESS
If the traveler in your life has an upcoming flight on one of the Star Alliance airlines (think United, Singapore Airlines, and Swiss Airlines), you can gift paid access to lounges regardless of the flyer’s loyalty status.
While some airlines are member status access only, many do offer standard paid lounge access for about $50 USD for 3 hours of access. Just enough for a pre-flight mimosa… or two.
2. CLEAR Access
I’m sure you’ve seen the CLEAR blue kiosks in front of security at the airport. CLEAR is an awesome way to expedite the security process. Especially when paired with TSA Pre-Check, security can be a breeze. Travelers with both can bypass identity verification and use the TSA PreCheck line for an even faster experience.
CLEAR GIFT CARD
An easy way to gift easy security, is by purchasing a CLEAR Gift Card. You can send the gift card directly to your recipient through SMS or email and you can even schedule it out to send at a later date. A membership costs $189 annually.
ADD THEM TO YOUR ACCOUNT
Are you a CLEAR Member? Then you know just how great it feels to be expedited to the front of security!
Instead of gifting a CLEAR Gift Card, you can also add friends and family to your existing account for $119 for each person.
You’re able to add up to 3 additional people to your account. A gift for the whole family!
Don’t Skip The Perks
If you’re a frequent flyer yourself, don’t skip out on the perks. If you are a Delta Diamond Medallion or 360º member, your CLEAR membership is free!
Similarly, loyalty programs through United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Alaska Airlines also are eligible for free or discounted CLEAR memberships
3. Airbnb & Airline Gift Cards
Let’s be honest.
What frequent travelers really want is to have their trips paid for!
AIRBNB GIFT CARDS
Gifting an Airbnb gift card is a smart and thoughtful choice for frequent travelers. It provides flexibility to book unique stays in destinations worldwide at no cost to them.
With no expiration date and easy digital delivery, an Airbnb gift card is the perfect gift for the person who is always saying “where to next?”.
AIRLINE GIFT CARDS
Who doesn’t want their flight paid for?! Airline specific gift cards are a great way to gift travel.
Be sure to find out what airline the person you’re gifting to has a loyalty or membership account with. That way they still get their points and perks for booking!
Not sure who they typically fly with? FlightGift offers digital gift cards that are eligible for over 400+ airlines!
Get A Good Deal
The holidays can make budgets tight. Wholesale stores like Costco and Sams Club often have deals on airline gift cards. These deals can look something like this $500 Southwest gift card, currently $20 off!
4. Try the World Subscription
This gift is a great way to either commemorate a past trip with a friend or to get excited for any upcoming adventure!
TRY THE WORLD SUBSCRIPTION BOX
This subscription service offers monthly boxes delivered to their door full of a curated selection of gourmet foods, snacks, and ingredients from different countries.
You’re able to choose the frequency of the boxes, the amount of snacks in each box, and the countries you’d like to boxes to be focused on!
All of the products are authentic and high-quality. It’s a perfect way to stoke the wanderlust in your favorite traveler!
Let Them Choose Their Subscription
Try The World offers a gift card option so recipients are able to cater the boxes to fit their wants and needs. With travel being unpredictable at times, maybe letting them choose their own box isn’t a bad idea…
5. National Parks & State Parks Pass
Not all travel enthusiasts seek adventure across the Atlantic. Encourage your domestic adventurers to get out there with an annual National Parks or State Parks pass.
NATIONAL PARKS PASS
Gifting a National Parks Pass is a thoughtful way to inspire adventure and a deeper connection with the great outdoors. It grants access to over 2,000 breathtaking sites across the U.S., from iconic landmarks like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to lesser-known gems, making it perfect road trip enthusiasts.
This pass is good for a full year of adventure and is easily gifted by simply writing the recipient’s name on the designated line on the card itself.
STATE PARKS PASS
For those who prefer exploring closer to home, a State Parks Pass is an equally wonderful gift, offering access to diverse landscapes, hiking trails, and recreational activities within a specific state.
This is a great gift for a friend or family member who has recently moved to a new state!
PAIR YOUR GIFT WITH GEAR
It’s All About Presentation
Wrap up your gifted parks pass inside of Tripped’s National Parks Compression Cubes.
Comes in a 6-Piece Carry-On Set and a 7-Piece Checked Bag Set for every type of packer!
6. Membership to Daily Drop Pro
A Daily Drop Pro membership is one of the best gifts for frequent travelers, offering a way to save big on flights and explore the world more affordably.
Daily Drop was created by travel vloggers and friends of Tripped, Kara and Nate, who are known for visiting 100 countries, adventurous trips, and being professional point hackers, Daily Drop is designed to help members find the best flight deals tailored to their destinations and budgets.
How Daily Drop Works
Daily Drop Pro members receive personalized flight alerts for domestic and international travel, making their dream trips come true. Daily Drop Pro also includes features like points-based searches for airline miles and hotel rewards, for the best utilization of your points.
Perks Of The Daily Drop Pro Membership
While there is a free limited Daily Drop membership, the Daily Drop Pro membership take it that much further with features like:
Choosing up to 10 departure airports to search from
Unlimited deal notifications
FREE Lonely Planet Destination Guide eBook
Priority Support
Unlimited real-time flight and hotel points searches
And so much more.
How To Gift A Daily Drop Pro Membership
To gift a Daily Drop Pro membership, all you need to know is the recipient’s name and email address. You’ll choose a password for them, but they can change this in their settings later.
Gifting a Daily Drop Pro membership will save your frequent traveler far more than the $149 annual cost for the membership. You might even find that you need a membership too! Keep an eye out for upcoming Black Friday deals.
7. United Premier Access
If your travel buddy is a United Airline loyalist, this is the gift for them.
As frequent travelers on United ourselves, we have found that adding United Premier Access to our account has been the biggest bang for our buck.
United Premier Access adds so many benefits to a trip, such as:
Priority Boarding
Priority Luggage Check-in
Exclusive Security Lines at Participating Airports
Premier Luggage Handling
All of this is available to be gifted and purchased without needing Mileage Plus status!
Gift United Premier Access to your travel buddy by surprising them with the upgrade for your upcoming trip! With prices starting at $24, this is a no-brainer.
Gifts That They Really Want
These unique gifts for the 2024 holiday season are guaranteed to be a hit with any travel enthusiast!
Elevate your typical travel gear gifts with these 7 travel-focused gift ideas.
